After Danby improvements, all I get is foam, bad keg maybe?

[c_matt_crap]

I did all the recommended mods. to my Danby and now I'm getting all foam, and no beer. I added a blower to cool the tower, digital thermostat controller for the temp. and opened up the tower to 3". I usually buy 1/6 kegs but I bought a 1/2 barrel of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on 4/16 and the newly improved Danby worked great up until this last Sat. when I started getting air in the beer line above the keg coupler. My psi was set at 12, until I started seeing the air bubbles, at that point I bumped it up to 14. That helped a bit for a short time and now all I get is pint of foam after pint of foam and bubbles are still in the line. I did a complete cleaning today and afterwards I'm still getting all foam. My best guess is that my keg has gone bad. Are these the symptoms of a keg that is too old? Thanks for any help you can give me.

[psychodad]

The modifications don't so much get rid of your foam as much as they allow you to more easily control the temperature and air flow through the kegerator. This in turn allows you to more easily balance the system.

You didn't mention what your liquid temperature is, but I'm assuming you have your beer much colder now than what it was before. The increased co2 pressure may have you overcarbonated.

[c_matt_crap]

I was still getting all foam this morning. I read about over carbonation and decided to try something. I shut the CO2 off at the bottle and released the pressure on the coupler. Then I uncoupled the keg, took it out and rolled it around for a couple minuets to separate some CO2 from the beer. I put it back in the kegerator and hooked it up again. I released the pressure before turning the C02 bottle back on. The pressure is set at 12 psi and the temp. controller set at 37 with a differential of 2. I don't have a way right now to calculate the beer temp. So, it kicks on at 38, goes down to 35 and shuts off. It took a beer or two to clear the foam from the line but then it poured a good beer. I haven't seen that for a while! I'm going to let it sit until this afternoon and see if I'm back in foam town. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[Scott Zuhse]

Be careful not to shake too much gas out of the keg. You will end up with flat beer. Even after the mods you still have a three degree variance? For you Danby modifiers out there, is this normal?

[psychodad]

I think the three degrees he mentioned is cabinet temperature and not beer temperature.

[Scott Zuhse]

Even so, is this normal after a modification such as the 33 ohm resistor? Is this typical of most kegerators out there less commercial units? Attempting to determine the playing field out there with these kegerators and possible beer temperature fluctuations throughout the keg. Thanks!

[cubby_swans]

Even so, is this normal after a modification such as the 33 ohm resistor? Is this typical of most kegerators out there less commercial units? Attempting to determine the playing field out there with these kegerators and possible beer temperature fluctuations throughout the keg. Thanks!

I'd say its typical. Mine kicks on at 37 and runs down to 34. But that's digital danby readout for the cabinet temp. My beer temp doesn't fluctuate. I believe the compressor kicks on at 37, and kicks off at 35, the temp just continues to drop 1 more degree after the compressor kicks off. I have the temp SET to 36.

Matt, you can buy a 10 dollar digital meat/food thermometer at any grocery store, target, or walmart. You need to know your beer liquid temp

[psychodad]

You have to have somewhat of a deadband to prevent short cycling the compressor. I do industrial controls and were I to design a system like this, I'd think that 3 degrees or so would be appropriate for the application. The constant starting and stopping of the compressor would be harder on everything with a deadband of +/- 1 degree than it would +/- 1.5 degrees which is essentially coming on at 39 and shutting off at 37 to maintain 38. The beer temperature isn't going to swing quite like the air temperature does.

[c_matt_crap]

I found a digital meat thermometer and checked my second beer out of the faucet, 31 degrees! Thats way too cold, no wonder my beer is over carbonated! I'm going to start to play around with my thermostat to get beer that is 38 degrees. Also, I emailed Sierra Nevada Brewery and they said at 38 degrees the CO2 pressure should be 12 - 14 psi, so that is what I'm going to shoot for. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the ongoing help people.

[c_matt_crap]

My beer is now 38 degrees! Now I'm waiting for the CO2 to come out of the beer from the over carbonation. I'm getting air in my line above the coupler, but hopefully it should all equalize out soon. Now my first beer is all foam, which I believe is from the air in the line, but the second one is good. Is is realistic for it to balance out after over carbonation?

[monkey710]

Everytime I overcarbonated my beer (twice) I found that it was foam until I emptied it. I tried the rolling method, but would rather deal with the foam than chance flat beer.

I would recommend you finish that keg fast and try again on a new one.